Catalog
100 Francs
| Issuer | Luzerner Kantonalbank |
|---|---|
| Year | 1902 |
| Type | Standard circulation banknote |
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| Obverse description | At left, a standing allegorical figure of Helvetia faces right, wearing a diadem and resting upon a sword and shield bearing the Swiss coat of arms, with edelweiss flowers at her feet. At right, a putto supports a cartouche containing the denomination. The composition is executed in a fine intaglio vignette style characteristic of Bradbury Wilkinson engraving. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | The reverse bears two circular medallions in mirror arrangement, each containing a facing portrait head of Hermes wearing a petasos (winged hat), rendered in fine intaglio engraving. The denomination appears in the three national languages of Switzerland within the surrounding text. |
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| Comments |
The Luzerner Kantonalbank was one of the Swiss cantonal banks operating under the fragmented note-issuing system that preceded the Swiss National Bank's founding in 1907. Until that point, dozens of cantonal and private institutions circulated their own paper currency, and Berne spent years attempting to consolidate this patchwork before the SNB finally assumed the monopoly. This note was printed during that last phase — issued competitively, redeemed centrally just a few years later.
Bradbury Wilkinson's commission for a Swiss cantonal issuer is a reminder of how thoroughly British security printers dominated the continental market at the turn of the century. The London firm handled everything from South American government bonds to Indian princely state currency; a Swiss cantonal note was unremarkable business for them.